Sec. 07.02.11.17. Visitation with the Child in Out-of-Home Placement

A. The local department caseworker shall have regular visits with the child in out-of-home placement, as required in this regulation. However, the visits shall be more frequent than as indicated in this regulation when, in the caseworker's professional judgment, it is appropriate to do so.

B. For a child placed in a resource family home, group care a residential treatment facility, or a semi-independent living arrangement, the following apply:

(1) The caseworker shall have a face-to-face visit with the child within 5 working days of placement, and subsequently at least once a month;

(2) The majority of the monthly visits shall occur in the placement where the child lives; and

(3) The caseworker shall have a face-to-face visit with the out-of-home placement provider at least once every 3 months to obtain information about the child's progress, care needs, medical status, and educational needs.

C. A child placed out-of-State in a foster home or a kinship home shall:

(1) Be visited monthly by the local department when geographically or fiscally feasible; or

(2) Be visited monthly by the receiving state when placed in accordance with an approved Interstate Compact For the Placement of Children, and the receiving state shall provide Maryland with quarterly visitation reports.

D. For a child placed in an out-of-State group home or residential treatment facility, the following apply:

(1) The caseworker shall visit the child at the facility monthly if geographically or fiscally feasible; or

(2) If it is not geographically or fiscally feasible for monthly visits, the caseworker shall visit the child in the placement quarterly.

E. Each visit with the child shall:

(1) Be of sufficient duration and privacy to allow the child the opportunity to express any concerns regarding the placement, services, or needs;

(2) Include a discussion, appropriate to the age and cognitive ability of the child, of the major focus areas related to the child, which includes the child's:

(a) Safety;

(b) Physical and mental health;

(c) Progress and concerns;

(d) Relationships or visits with parents, siblings, and other relatives; and

(e) Overall well-being.

F. Every contact with the child shall be documented in the child's record, including:

(1) The date and location of the visit;

(2) If other than a visit, the nature of the contact;

(3) The name of the person making the contact;

(4) The agency that made the visit, if other than the local department;

(5) A summary of any significant results of the contact;

(6) A discussion of major content areas as described in §F of this regulation;

(7) A discussion of monthly meetings between the caregiver or group care staff;

(8) Assessments of the quality of care being provided and the child's adjustment to the placement; and

(9) The child's safety evaluation using the approved safety assessment tool.

G. Every visit with the child shall be documented as immediately as possible in the case record but not later than 5 business days after the visit occurs.